Massage pad

Abstract

The invention relates to a massage cushion (1) comprising a cushion film (2) and a support film (4) which are connected together to form at least one inflatable and / or collapsible cushion chamber (6) and which is connected to a fluid line which flows into it. The cushion chamber (6) has at least one connection element (8) on the outside of the cushion film (2) and a connection plate (10) which can be connected to the connection element (8).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a massage pad comprising a pad film and a support film connected together to form at least one expandable and / or contractible pad cavity, and the pad cavity being connected to a fluid conduit therein.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a seat or chair having the massage pad of the present invention, and a vehicle equipped with the seat or chair. Background Technology

[0003] Inflatable lumbar support pads or massage pads are already well-known and widely used. In the automotive industry, these pads are used in seats to improve comfort or prevent fatigue. These pads, which typically expand when inflated with air, allow the backrest profile of a seat (such as a vehicle seat) to be adjusted to fit the specific anatomy of the individual sitting on it. For this purpose, at least one pad cavity is either inflated or deflated to a greater or lesser degree via corresponding fluid lines.

[0004] Typically, lumbar support pads or massage pads are made by welding two overlapping thermoplastic films together. The films to be welded together must first be pre-assembled by stamping or cutting so that they can then be hermetically welded together along multiple seams, along with the fluid tubing.

[0005] DE 10 2006 059 540 A1 discloses a vehicle seat with an inflatable cushion, the cushion of which has a contractile portion. This contractile portion causes the stretching of the contracted area to be less than that of the cushion area outside the contractile portion when the cushion is inflated. In this solution, the desired three-dimensional shape of the cushion can only be obtained when it is inflated. Therefore, the perceptible cushion effect only occurs when the air chamber expands.

[0006] DE 10 2016 220 104 A1 discloses a lumbar support pad having multiple stacked padding cavities. The arrangement of multiple independent padding cavities increases assembly workload, thereby further increasing manufacturing costs, which is disadvantageous.

[0007] DE 30 37 659 C2 discloses a seat back support equipped with an air cushion and a replaceable support core. The support core is used to provide planar support and straightening for the lumbar spine, as well as to improve lateral support for a person sitting in the seat. The support core is located inside the air cushion, so that the thin film defining the air chambers of the air cushion pads the support core. Disadvantageously, because the support core is applied over a large area, a localized massage effect cannot be achieved.

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a massage pad that provides a perceptible massage effect even when the pad is not inflated.

[0009] Additionally or alternatively, a solution should be provided that enables the simple and economical manufacture of massage pads. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The solution to this objective is achieved by a massage pad having the features of independent claim 1.

[0011] Other advantageous constructions are disclosed in the dependent claims and set forth in the description and examples.

[0012] This application relates to a massage pad comprising a pad film and a support film joined together to form at least one expandable and / or contractible pad cavity, the pad cavity being connected to a fluid conduit therein. The pad cavity has at least one connecting element and a connecting plate connectable to the connecting element on the outer side of the pad film.

[0013] The padding film and the support film are preferably welded together, and contain fluid conduits corresponding to the padding cavities. To enhance the massage effect, the massage pad may include multiple independent inflatable padding cavities. Fluid, preferably air, can be supplied to the padding cavities for expansion, or fluid can be discharged for contraction, via the fluid conduits. The individual padding cavities may be separated from each other by partitions, which are non-inflatable portions of the massage pad. These partitions may form regions in which the padding film and the support film are welded together. The padding cavities may be at least partially formed within the padding film.

[0014] The connecting plate of the massage pad of the present invention is primarily responsible for the intensity of the massage effect. Through structural design of the massage plate's surface, a perceptible increase in localized pressure can be applied to the human body that is in contact with, sitting on, or leaning against the connecting plate. Additional alternating expansion and contraction of the pad cavity and the connecting plate arranged thereon creates a stroke, thereby applying additional force to the human body to enhance the massage effect.

[0015] Of particular advantage, the connecting plate can be replaced with one of different hardness or profile, allowing for customization to meet specific customer requirements. In other words, for customized adjustments to the massage pad, only the connecting plate needs to be replaced, while the pad cavity with the connecting element is a standardized component that can be economically mass-produced. Since the connecting plate is located on the outside of the pad cavity, it can be replaced at any time and / or by anyone.

[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, the padding film and / or support film are composed of plastic films three-dimensionally formed by injection molding. Particularly advantageously, the padding cavity formed by the padding film and support film is no longer merely planar in its basic or static state, but is pre-formed three-dimensionally in an advantageous shape. Thus, not only can the size and arrangement of the padding cavity be pre-set during expansion through the corresponding three-dimensional forming of the cavity, but the cavity can also be pre-set through the corresponding three-dimensional geometry of the padding film and / or support film, which can be ergonomically designed and / or adjusted according to the specific seat type and / or user, thereby achieving personalized geometry. Thus, even when the padding cavity is not expanded or contracted, it is particularly advantageous to produce a varied pressure distribution applied to the human body and the resulting massage effect.

[0017] During the injection molding process, the connecting element can be integrally connected to the gasket film or integrally molded with the gasket film.

[0018] According to another aspect of the invention, the connecting plate has a three-dimensional structured surface. For example, the surface may have hemispherical protrusions or wavy projections to improve comfort and support massage functions.

[0019] According to another aspect of the invention, a connecting plate extends above a plurality of padding cavities. In other words, the plurality of padding cavities can be connected to the connecting plate. For example, when one padding cavity expands by air supply, adjacent padding cavities can contract simultaneously, and vice versa. By connecting these two padding cavities to the connecting plate, a wave-like massage motion can be advantageously implemented.

[0020] The present invention also relates to a seat or chair having a massage pad according to the invention. The massage pad according to the invention can be used in a variety of seats or seating, for example, in passenger cars or trucks, forklifts, construction vehicles, agricultural vehicles, pilot seats, office chairs, massage chairs, medical seating, living room sofas or waiting rooms.

[0021] The present invention also relates to a vehicle having a seat and a massage pad according to the invention. Thus, the characteristics and advantages of the massage pad described at the beginning can be transferred to a vehicle, such as an air vehicle, land vehicle, or water vehicle.

[0022] It should be clearly pointed out that the above-described design schemes of the present invention can be combined independently or in any technically feasible combination with the spirit of claim 1. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The embodiments and further advantages of the present invention will be schematically illustrated and explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figures:

[0024] Figure 1An exploded schematic diagram of the massage pad according to the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic side view of a massage pad according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure 3 Show Figure 2 The diagram shows a schematic top view of the massage pad according to the present invention.

[0027] The above diagram uses a Cartesian coordinate system, where X represents the vertical direction, Y represents the horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction X, and Z represents the vertical direction perpendicular to both the vertical direction X and the horizontal direction Y. The vertical direction X can also be called depth X, the horizontal direction Y can also be called width Y, and the vertical direction Z can also be called height Z. The vertical direction X and the horizontal direction Y together form the horizontal plane X and Y, also known as the horizontal plane X and Y. The vertical direction X, the horizontal direction Y, and the vertical direction Z can also be collectively referred to as the spatial directions X, Y, and Z, or the Cartesian spatial directions X, Y, and Z.

[0028] List of reference numerals (part of the instruction manual)

[0029] 1 massage cushion

[0030] 2. Pad film

[0031] 4. Supporting film

[0032] 6. Pad cavity

[0033] 8 connecting elements

[0034] 10 connecting plates

[0035] 100 Structured Surface

[0036] X Vertical direction

[0037] Y (horizontal direction)

[0038] Z (vertical direction)

[0039] X and Y horizontal planes; horizontal plane Detailed Implementation

[0040] The massage pad 1 according to the invention comprises a support film 4 and a padding film 2, which are welded together to form an inflatable padding cavity 6. The padding cavity 6 is connected to a fluid conduit (not shown in detail) that flows into it. The padding cavity 6 has two connecting elements 8 on the outside of the padding film 2. A connecting plate 10 has a recess corresponding to the connecting elements 8, thereby connecting to the connecting elements 8. The connecting elements 8 are configured in a mushroom shape. A similarly removable shape-fit connection can be established by pushing the connecting plate 10 onto the connecting elements 8 in the longitudinal direction X. The connecting plate 10 has a structured surface 100 with raised or hemispherical protrusions. Figure 1 The gasket cavity 6 in an expanded state is shown. The combination of the gasket film 2 and the support film 4, together with the connecting plate 10, is shown in an exploded side view.

[0041] Figure 2 It schematically shows the following based on Figure 1 A side view of the massage pad 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting plate 10 and the connecting element 8 are connected by a form-fit connection. The connecting plate 10 forms the surface of the massage pad 1 facing the user.

[0042] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 A schematic top view of the massage pad 1 according to the present invention. The structured surface 100 has nine raised or hemispherical protrusions, the diameters of which or their sizes vary.

Claims

1. A massage pad (1) comprising a pad film (2) and a support film (4), the pad film and the support film being joined together to form at least one expandable and / or contractible pad cavity (6), wherein the pad cavity (6) is connected to a fluid conduit therein, Its features are, The liner cavity (6) has at least one connecting element (8) and a connecting plate (10) that can be connected to the connecting element (8) on the outside of the liner film (2).

2. The massage pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims. Its features The liner film (2) and / or the support film (4) are made of plastic films formed by injection molding in three dimensions.

3. The massage pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims. Its features The connecting plate (10) has a three-dimensional structured surface (100).

4. The massage pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims. Its features The connecting plate (10) extends over a plurality of gasket cavities (6).

5. A seat or chair equipped with the massage pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. A vehicle equipped with a seat according to claim 5.

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